In volcanic Iceland, eruptions bring risk, and tourism boom
VIK, Iceland — An Icelandic volcano brought much of the world’s air travel to a halt. And then it brought the world to Iceland.
Few outside this island nation had heard of Eyjafjallajokull — and even fewer could pronounce it — when the volcano erupted in April 2010 after two centuries of silence, spewing an ash cloud that closed Europe’s airspace and grounded millions of travelers.
Iceland responded to its global notoriety with savvy self-promotion, sparking a tourism boom to a country whose landscape of hardened lava, gushing geysers and steaming hot springs has a stark beauty that’s like nowhere else on Earth.